Atlas Work - glossary

Atlas Skills Glossary

A political map - a map dealing with man-made divisions and constructions.
A physical/relief map - a map dealing with natural features of the landscape.
A thematic map - a map showing a particular theme such as population.
Scale - the relative size of a map or model compared with the area or object in real life.
Sphere - A completely round 3 dimensional object such as the earth.
Hemisphere - half a sphere.
Equator - An imaginary line around the middle of the world. The 0º line of latitude.
Northern Hemisphere - Everywhere on the Earth that is North of the Equator.
Southern Hemisphere - Everywhere on the Earth that is South of the Equator.
Latitude - Lines that run across a map, showing the position shown North or South of the Equator.
Longitude -Lines that run vertically up and down a map, showing the position East or West of the Greenwich Meridian.
Degree - Unit used to measure latitude and longitude.
Minute - Subdivision of a degree. 60 minutes = 1 degree.
Second - Subdivision of a minute. 60 seconds = 1 minute.
Greenwich Meridian - 0º line of longitude. Also known as the Prime Meridian.
Tropic of Cancer - An imaginary line 23.5º North of the Equator.
Tropic of Capricorn - An imaginary line 23.5º South of the Equator.
Arctic Circle - An imaginary line circling the Earth at 66.5º North of the Equator.
Antarctic Circle - An imaginary line circling the Earth at 66.5º South of the Equator.
Axis - An imaginary line around which a solid object such as the Earth rotates.
Tropical zone - The area of the Earth's surface between the two Tropics.
Temperate zone - The areas of the Earth's surface between each of the Tropics and the Arctic or Antarctic circles.
Polar zones - The areas North of the Arctic Circle and South of the Antarctic Circle.
North Pole - The northerly point on the Earth's surface through which the Earth's axis passes (90º North).
South Pole - The southerly point on the Earth's surface through which the Earth's axis passes (90º South).